Artemio Rodriguez Projects (Return to Rogriguez's main page)

The Triumph of Death

May 2-31, 2008

Through the month of May, work by artist Artemio Rodriguez and his print studio, La Mano Press,  will be for sale.  Works include linocuts, woodcuts, etchings, serigraphs, skateboards and books published by Artemio Rodriguez during the last 14 years of work in the United States.  There will also be prints available by other artists published by La Mano Press.

Proceeds are to raise funds for the following two projects:

El Huerto

El Huerto, Centro de Ecologia y Artes (The Orchard, Center for Ecology and Arts) is a project taking place in Tacámbaro, Michoacán, Mexico, 45 minutes south of Patzcuaro.

In 2001 Rodriguez discovered that a few blocks from the house where he was raised in his native Tacámbaro was a large piece of land, approximately three acres, surrounded by houses and which had been abandoned for thirty years.  The land has many trees and a natural spring.  The main entrance is an adobe house which is in ruins.

Rodriguez learned that the property was owned by a local cooperative, MICASA, a general food store.  He became part of the cooperative and subsequently president of the commission of education and ecology.  He was then able to propose a plan for the use of the land.  In March of 2008 the project was approved by the general assembly and a few weeks later work was begun on rebuilding the adobe house.

The following is brief outline of the project:

1. Rebuild the adobe house using traditional building techniques and local materials to install a printmaking studio which will be open to the local community and also serve to fund a program of artists in residence.

2. Create an art gallery, a library dedicated to art and ecology, a store to sell local products, crafts, art and books.

3. Build a botanical garden to preserve native trees and plants, including orchids.  Put in place a large compost to process the organic waste that the cooperative produces.

4. Build a large pond to make use of the water spring, and install a traditional hydraulic system which will distribute the water to the whole terrain.

5. Create a children’s library.

So far, the only economic support for this project has come from the cooperative ($30,000) and they are looking for money to continue the rest of the work.

GRAFICOMOVIL

This project is based in Los Angeles, CA.  It consists of a 1947 Chevrolet delivery truck which is being converted into a traveling mural, gallery space, print studio and movie theater.  Using car painting techniques Rodriguez and his team have reproduced a woodcut on the left side of the truck, a linocut on the back side and hand drawn images on the right side and the front.

The objectives of GRAFICOMOVIL are to take the world of art to the streets, especially printmaking; raise consciousness about the hardships of migration (the central theme of the murals) and to show art, movies and documentaries about art, ecology and migration.

The project was initially funded by Creative Capital, New York, but this was not enough and there is still work to be done to finalize the project.  The team is also working on the production of a documentary about the making of GRAFICOMOVIL, its action and the reactions of people.  For this they need to buy a new video camera and a computer.

We hope these projects interest and inspire you to give your support.

Please join us for the opening reception of Artemio Rodriguez’s exhibition, Thursday, May 1, 6 - 8 pm.  His new 8’ x 12’ woodblock, Triumph of Death, printed at Hui Press, will be featured.

On Saturday, May 3,  at  2 pm, Artemio will give a public presentation and discussion.  We hope you can come!

To see more images, learn more about Triumph of Death, or about La Mano Press, please visit the following websites: davidsongalleries.com, huipress.com and lamanopress.com.

• Return to Available Works by Artemio Rodriguez